Ditching-machine



I woman.) 2snees-sheet1.

JLR. VINNEDGE, DitchingMachina.

No. 241,520. Patented May 17, 1881.

N. PETERS. Photn'liihogmpher. Washington. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. Ditching Machine.

(No Model.)

'VI'NNEDGEi Patented Ma 3 N4 PETERS; Photo-lithograph", Washington, D. C.

UNITED TAT PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. VINNEDGE, or LA PAZ, INDIANA.

:DITCHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,520, dated May 17, 1881.

Application filed January 27, 1881. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES R. VINNEDGE, of La Paz, in the county of Marshall and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching -Machines and Power; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved ditching-machine. Fig.2isadetailperspective of the supplemental landside or crowd-board. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the Windlass or capstan, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the tributary ditch er.

This invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines of that class having cutters fixed at the front part of the machine, from which the dirt is taken by or falls upon the upwardly and rearwardly inclined mold-board; and it consists of the combination therewith of a supplemental landside or crowd-board adapted to be attached and detached therefrom, substantially as hereinafter more fullyset forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the plow, to which is connected, in the usual way, the beam at, with a hitching-ring, a.

A cross-bar, b, is connected to the forward end of the beam a, to which and the rear end of said beam care connected, preferably as shown, rolls 0 c. The rolls 0, as may be the roll 0, are adapted to be vertically adjusted, to gage the depth of plowing or excavating. To the crossbar I) is adapted to be attached an extension, I), to permit of hitching an additional horse to the machine.

The plow A has one side provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined mold-board, A, which is curved or turned to one side, as at A at its upper or rear end. This construction enables (as is common in this class of ditchers) the elevating and discharging of the dirt at one side of the ditch.

A A are the knives or cutters, one being arranged in a forwardly -inc1ined position in line with the landside, and suitably fastened to the base of the plow and the beam while the other is attached at its lower end to the outer edge of the forward end of the mold-board, and inclined away from the first-named cutter, with its upper divergent end fastened to the crossbar I). This arrangement enables the cutting of the ditch flaringly toward its upper edge, thus giving proper room to get at the tile laid therein, and at the same time provide the given amount of space for the laying of the tile, one among other purposes for which ditches are made.

B is the supplemental landside or crowdboard, which is composed of the board B, beveled or sharpened at its forward end, and provided at the same end with a curved or bent arm, at, to permit of its attachment to the plowbeam, while fastened obliquely to one side of said board are two other arms, d 11, adapted to be attached or connected to the uprights conmeeting the beam to the plow. This landside 0r crowd-board is for use upon the landside of the plow, when it is desired to widen the ditch after the passing of the plow once through the ground, it serving to move in the excavation already made, and against its side, and to brace the plow in its upright position upon its return movement. While by its obliquity of position the crowd-board or landside B is adapted to conform to and move against the side of the previously-formed ditch, as already intimated, its lower edge moves along the bottom of the ditch, as is seen in plan view, Fig. 1 of the drawings. The extreme rear end of the landside B has an arm, 61 at its lower edge, which connects with the rear end of the bottom of th plow.

O is a tributary ditcher, constructed substantially as shown, for making tributary ditches. D is the Windlass with capstan, having a hitching-lever, e, and a leading-bar, c, for the application of horse-power.

The upright shaft or drum f, to which the capstan is connected, is supported in an upright frame, g, secured upon a base or horizontal frame, g.

In or upon the periphery of the shaft or drum is either one of three forms of grooves (as shown in Fig. 4, lettered i j k) for the endless chain to run in.

l is the endless chain, adapted to run in the groove in the shaft, and passed around a pulley, m. This pulley has attached to it a stake, m, which is driven into the ground so as to tighten the chain.

it is a short chain with a hook, n, attached at each end. One hook is inserted into the endless chain Z, close to the pulley m, while the hook at the other end of the chain a is inserted into an eye upon one of the rod-links of the chain 0., The opposite end link or rod of the chain 0 has a hook, which is inserted into a ring, a, on the end of the plow-beam.

With the plow and Windlass in positio11i. 6., the end (either) of the frame of the Windlass and the point of the plow pointing toward each In a ditchin g-machine, the combination, with the plow A, of the supplemental landside or crowd-board B, having the board B, with oblique arms 11 d, and arms d (P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. VINNEDGE.

Witnesses:

O. M. PACKARD, M. A. O. PACKARD. 

